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Show EDITQRSPROTEST Call Latest Ruling of Commerce Commission Com-mission Unfair. RAILROAD ADS BARRED Say There Is Nothing In the Law That Calls for Such an Interpretation Interpre-tation The Commission Flooded with "Kicks." Washington. Tho recent ruling of tho lntcrstato commerce commission to tho effect that "nothing hut money can bo paid for transportation of either persons or property," means that in tho future tho railroads will bo prohibited from exchanging transportation transpor-tation for advertising space In tho nowspapers of tho country Tho ruling hns already aroused a storm of protest from the publishers throughout tho country. Every mall Into Washington brings hundreds of letters from newspaper men all of which severely crltlclso tho commission commis-sion for "going out of its way to hit tho nowspapers." Tho publishers insist in-sist thnt there Is nothing In tho now law which would In any way forbid tho railroads from purchasing advertising adver-tising space to bo paid for In transportation, trans-portation, and that such n ruling Is not only uncalled for by either tho letter or the spirit of tho law, but is unconstitutional as well. Ono prominent publisher said a day or two ago: "Thoro is not only nothing In tho now rate law which would call for such a ruling as this from' tho commission, com-mission, but tho ruling is antagonistic to tho national constitution as woll, and It will not bo uphold by tho courts. The railroads that desire publicity pub-licity through tho medium of my publication pub-lication mako advertising contracts with me, and say mo for tho spaco used with transportation which Is tho samo ns money to mo, as it is used by myself or my employes In connection with my busfness. Tho government might with cqunl justlco say tho merchant mer-chant could not glvo dry goods or any other marketable commodity In exchango for advertising spaco. Tlio courts would not uphold such a ruling as that for ono moment, nnd thoro Is no moro reason why they should uphold up-hold this latest crratlon of tho com-morco com-morco commission, for It is equally as untcnablo as tho proposition between tho' publisher nnd tho merchant would bo. "Everyone knows that tho railroads do, and can afford to, ndvcrtlso moro heavily when tholr advertising accounts ac-counts can ho paid for In transportation. transporta-tion. Nor docs this increased amount of advertising nffecftho interests of tho gcnoral public In any way, hut it docs assist In mnklng tho prosperity of tho American nawspnpors nnd periodicals. peri-odicals. The transportation thnt is given to nowspapers in oxchango for advertising does not affect Ip any way tho equitable enforcement of tho rato law, nor does It effect In any way tho rntos chargod tho general public for transportation for clthor person or proporty. It Is a benefit to tho railroads rail-roads In that It enables thorn to do a greater amount of advertising that thoy otliorwlso could or would do, and In this way socuro a greater amount of business for tholr lines, nnd under a Just Interpretation of tho law this Incrcaso In business would eventually lead to a reduction of transportation charges to tho gcnoral public. It is an unjust and uncalled for ruling, nnd both tho publisher nnd tho railroads should fight It," That publishers aro fighting it, not only by tholr protests to tho commission commis-sion hut by protesting to tholr representatives repre-sentatives In both houses of congress, Is proven by tho fact that already tho commission is receiving communications communica-tions from many senators and congressmen con-gressmen in which thesu representatives representa-tives of tho pcoplo declare thoy had no intention of pasulng n law that would nffect tho nowspupors in tills way, nnd that thoro Is nothing In tho now law which calls for such a ruling on tho, part of tho commission. , |